“Sustainable Development: Is It Possible?”, a Conversation with Helen Clark

On 21 May 2018, UNU will host “Sustainable Development: Is It Possible?” a conversation with Ms Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and former Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme. This event will start at 6:30 p.m. at UNU Headquarters in Tokyo.

In 2015, United Nations Member States adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals — a universal call to action to eradicate poverty, promote global prosperity, foster peace, and protect the environment by 2030. Daunting in its breadth and ambition, the 2030 Agenda also faces significant implementation challenges: it demands unprecedented collective action by governments, civil society, and the private sector; it requires the mobilisation of additional resources and innovative financing mechanisms; and it calls for the generation of new data and indicators to measure progress. Ultimately, it also places a premium on reform of the UN Development System to better assist Member States in realising sustainable development.

Ms Clark will join Mr Sebastian von Einsiedel, Director of the UNU Centre for Policy Research, for a conversation on the implementation challenges of the 2030 Agenda, and the steps that governments and the United Nations must take to overcome them.

The UNU Conversation Series aims to foster audience participation: you are encouraged to engage with the speakers during the conversation and at the reception that will follow, where all audience members are invited to enjoy the food and drinks that will be served while exchanging ideas and making new contacts.

Please note that this event will be in English only; Japanese interpretation will not be provided. Advance registration (by 20 May) is required. Please click on the REGISTER button above to access the online registration page.

About the speaker

Ms Helen Clark was the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) from April 2009 to April 2017. She is the first and, thus far, only woman to have led UNDP. During her tenure, Ms Clark made the UNDP more transparent, leaner, and more efficient. She also chaired, on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General, the United Nations Development Group — a high-level forum that unites the 32 UN funds, programmes, specialised agencies, departments, and offices that play a role in development.

Prior to her appointment with UNDP, Ms Clark served as Prime Minister of New Zealand for three successive terms from 1999–2008. She was the first woman to be elected to this position. Throughout her tenure as Prime Minister, she engaged strongly on a variety of issues, including sustainability, climate change, economic growth, unemployment, education, and health. Previously, Ms Clark had an extensive parliamentary and ministerial career, and taught at the University of Auckland.